Spain will not purchase 15.3 million rounds of ammunition from an Israeli company in protest against Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Since October 2023, Spain has refused to engage in any arms deals with Israel in response to the military operation in the Gaza Strip. However, just one year later, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior signed a contract with IMI Systems of Israel. The ministry was supposed to receive 15.3 million 9mm cartridges, but promised to cancel the deal after the media found out about it.
However, the Ministry of the Interior intends to see the contract through to completion, as cancelling it at this stage would result in the transfer of €6.6 million to the Israeli company, with Spain receiving nothing in return. The disruption of supplies would have a negative impact on the Civil Guard’s ability to maintain order in the country. On Thursday, the media reported that the contract had been terminated unilaterally.
The government said that the import licence for the ammunition would be rejected “for reasons of public interest,” after which the Ministry of the Interior would officially terminate the contract. The authorities and the State Council are currently looking into the possible legal consequences, including compensation claims from the Israeli company.
